A plated steel sheet has been used as a structural member of an automobile from a viewpoint of rust prevention. As a plated steel sheet for automobile, there can be cited an alloyed galvanized steel sheet and a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet, for example.
The alloyed galvanized steel sheet has an advantageous point that it is excellent in weldability and corrosion resistance after coating. One example of the alloyed galvanized steel sheet is described in Patent Literature 1. However, a plating layer of the alloyed galvanized steel sheet is relatively hard due to diffusion of Fe which occurs at a time of alloying treatment, so that it is easily peeled off when compared to a plating layer of the hot-dip galvanized steel sheet. Specifically, a crack is likely to occur in the plating layer due to an external pressure, the crack propagates up to an interface between the plating layer and a base steel sheet, and the plating layer is likely to peel off from the interface as a starting point. For this reason, when the alloyed galvanized steel sheet is used as an outer panel of an automobile, there is a case where a collision of small stones (chipping) due to stone splash with respect to a traveling vehicle occurs, resulting in that a plating layer is peeled off together with a coating, and a base steel sheet is exposed and is likely to be corroded. Further, the plating layer of the alloyed galvanized steel sheet contains Fe, so that when the coating is peeled off due to the chipping, the plating layer itself is corroded, and a reddish-brown rust is sometimes generated. There is also a case where powdering and flaking occur in the plating layer of the alloyed galvanized steel sheet.
The plating layer of the hot-dip galvanized steel sheet which is not subjected to the alloying treatment does not contain Fe, and thus is relatively soft. For this reason, with the use of the hot-dip galvanized steel sheet, it is possible to make it difficult to cause corrosion accompanied by the chipping, and it is also possible to suppress the powdering and the flaking. One example of the hot-dip galvanized steel sheet is described in each of Patent Literatures 2 to 5. However, because of a low melting point of the plating layer of the hot-dip galvanized steel sheet, seizing with respect to a metal mold is likely to occur at a time of press forming. Further, there is also a case where a crack occurs in the plating layer at a time of the press forming and bending.
As described above, in the conventional plated steel sheets, it cannot be said that all of a powdering resistance, a seizing resistance, a crack resistance, and a chipping resistance are suitable for the application of an automobile.